Adverse Events Following Immunization with Covid-19 Vaccines:Results from the State Registry and Surveillance System in RiversState, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47363/JCET/2023(4)134Keywords:
Adverse Events Following Immunization, Covid-19 Vaccines, Vaccination, Surveillance, Covid-19, Public HealthAbstract
Introduction: The manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines was a response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Four of the WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines were available and administered in Nigeria. Side effects may manifest physically post-vaccination and are part of a normal immune response; they are usually mild and fleeting. Common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines include fever, pain at the injection site, headache, and fatigue; allergic reactions may also occur. Some severe side effects also reported include myocarditis and Bell’s palsy. This study aimed to describe the adverse events occurring after COVID-19 vaccination, as reported by the Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) surveillance system in Rivers State.
Methods: A retrospective study describing all reported cases of adverse events post-COVID-19 vaccination in Rivers State. Data were collated from the Rivers State registry and AEFI surveillance system between March 18, 2021, and January 31, 2022. AEFI severity was classified as mild, moderate, and serious. The outcomes of interest were categorised as recovered, death, and disability.
Results: The total number vaccinated in Rivers State as of 31 January 2022, was 548,383 and total persons reporting an AEFI was 1042. There were ten hospitalisations, and zero deaths recorded. Fever was the most reported adverse event –57% of the cohort; and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was administered to 78.3% of the reporting population. The reporting rate for total doses received was nineteen cases per 10,000 doses administered; and the reporting rate for serious reactions was 18 cases per 1,000,000 doses administered. The proportion between males and females reporting an AEFI was significantly different.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 vaccines were safe in the study population as there were no major safety concerns identified and the benefits inherently
outweighed the risk.
